Aoishiro: Lapis Lazuli Waltz
by Bigbossbalrog
Summary: Osanai Shouko is an average high school student belonging to Seijou Girls Academy. She's the President of the Literature club, and has an all around normal life. All of that changes when a mysterious girl washes up on the beach when there at the southern sea, with no memory. A retelling of the Visual Novel Aoishiro , with Madoka Magica thrown in. Rated T for Yuri.
1. Prologue

_**OOC:** **Thought it would be better just to combine all the chapters under prologue **_

"Osa Osa, Osa-sempai!"* A high pitched voice interrupted me from the book I was reading, causing myself to sigh in annoyance. I put down the white paperback novel, and said, in my usual monotone voice,

"Momoko-chan, what do you want?" Akita Momoko was a first year student of Seijou Girls Academy. Known for her highly energetic personality, obsession with meat, rock music, and manga, the short brunette hardly focused on anything, and was usually all over the place. Unfortunately for myself, she was around me a large percent of the day. You see, Momoko belonged to the same club as me, the Literature club. I simply tolerated her, since I knew, at the end of the day; Momoko was a good girl, as annoying as she could be, which is all that really mattered. Momoko was slim, had brown hair, was of average height, and usually had her hair shoulder length, spiky, and with twin tails. From what Shouko had heard, her family was from the mountains, a highly rural area. She was roommates with a fellow literature club member, Aizawa Yasumi. Yasumi wasn't at the club today; because her illness prevented her from leaving bed. She was known for being a very sick young woman, and had good days, and bad days. Normally, Momoko would stay with Yasumi when she was feeling too ill to leave bed, but today, Momoko had multiple tests, and couldn't afford to miss any of them on account of Yasumi.

I Osani Shouko was a third year at Seijou Girls Academy. Born into a middle class family, I attended West Tokyo elementary School, and later West Tokyo Middle school, before being accepted into Seijou Girls Academy High School. I was raised by my Grand Father, and Grand Mother, due to my Father and Mother never having time for me, being very busy with work and all. They say, that it didn't matter who your biological parents were, authority figures in your early life, regardless of them being your parent or not. That statement proved true to me, as I inherited my grandfather's grumpiness, stoic personality, and cool headiness. Other girls would constantly call me an old man which, in terms of personality, wasn't far off from the truth.

Momoko looked at me , before giving mea warm smile, and a curious glance,

"Hmmmmm…give me a second, I forgot what I was going to ask you Osa…" She stood there. Putting her hand to her chin in an inquisitive gesture. I could only watch as the young teenager looked through her mind,

_Hopefully she doesn't remember…_

Momoko's face shone up, as if to say "Eureka". She let out a loud, joyous laugh, and said,

"Ah now I remember. I was going to ask if we could stop reading these boring period drama books, and instead, read some lovely Mahou Shojo manga!: Momoko asked, with an eager and energetic face. I responded bluntly,

"No."

"But-"

"No. I don't think reading about small girls in frills fighting monsters would be proper for a club like ours."

Personally, anime and manga never really interested me. Sure, I had watched some when I was younger, but after becoming a high school student, the appeal vanished. To Shouko, anime and manga was nothing more than cartoon women, with big breasts and slim bodies, fighting evil with huge muscular men. And besides, my best friend, Sakurai Ayashiro, was a creepy Lolicon, so I didn't need any more anime or manga in my life. I much preferred reading swordsmanship novels, along with watching period drama's on the T.V, or study. Momoko's face puffed up at my remark

"Osa is being stuck up."

A quiet and kind voice rescued me from Momoko's prating, allowing myself to focus my attention on the other person,

"Osa-Sempai, you don't like Magical Girl Anime?" The voice belonged to Kaname Madoka. A first year. She had pink hair. Red ribbons, and was very short to the point Shouko once misidentified her as a grade schooler. She was shy, non-outgoing, but extremely kind, the only trait she shared with Momoko. Madoka belonged to a rich family, and her mother was an influential business woman. She used to live in Mitakihara City, but after being accepted into Seijou Girls Academy, she was forced to move into the dorms. She had nervously asked Shouko for directions on her first day of school, and later joined the Literature Club. She was roommates with a girl who came from the same city, an Akemi Homura. They spent all of their time off together, and were practically sisters, or, as the rumors went, quote on quote, "more than sisters". Well it's true, Homura acted extremely "friendly" to Madoka, I never paid any rumors in general any attention. Homura was also a member of the Literature club, but like Yasumi, Homura had good days and bad days. She had a heart problem, and was now in Tokyo getting surgery for it. Madoka had originally insisted on going with Homura, but she had waved her off, not wanting to trouble the pinkette with her surgery. Quickly, I responded to Madoka's question

"No, I don't Madoka. I find it childish." Madoka giggled, and said, "While that's true, don't you ever imagine yourself in one of those outfits, fighting for the greater good and such?"

I snorted, "Never. Most of my time spent as a child was practicing and honing my kendo skills. I only had time to watch the occasional episode of Sailor Moon, or some Gundam."

I glanced at my wrist watch, checking what time it was. Looking outside of the window, the sun had already started to go down, and the rays of orange light danced around the curtains. It was about time for me to go, the walk to my Grandfather's house usual took two hours. I was so into the book, I didn't realise me, Madoka, and Momoko were the only ones left inside the classroom. I got out of her desk, putting the whitepaper back book into my blue knapsack. Straightening out my uniform, I waved goodbye to the two other remaining members,

"Goodbye Momoko, goodbye Madoka, I'll see you both tomorrow." Both of them said at the same time,

"Goodbye Osa-Sempai." Both of them said at the same time,

And with that, I left the classroom, heading down the hallway to my locker. I stopped dead in my tracks, as someone suddenly grabbed my breasts from behind, causing me to blush a furious shade of red. I didn't need to glance back to see who this was,

"Ayashiro, get your hands off of me!" A loud giggle could be heard from behind me, and the face of a long black-haired girl could be seen beside me,

"Don't worry Osa, you know I like my breasts smaller."

_What a perverted creep._

I aggressively, wiped my bag around, and slammed it into Ayashiro's face, causing her to yelp, and fall over. On the ground, she raised her hands,

"Stop, I surrender."

Her voice was calm, collected, and kind. Deception at its finest. When she was around teachers and other classmates, Ayashiro was a sweet, quiet, black haired Japanese beauty. Coming from insanely rich parents, all of this leading to her receiving the nickname, "Hime"*****. Around me, she degraded into a creepy, perverted, Lolicon, obsessed with little girls. However, I had known her most of her life, with her being the vice president of the literacy club, and me being the President. Overall, she was harmless, as she would always say,

"My honor as a Lolicon prevents me from actually touching the precious Loli's. You have nothing to fear from me best friend."

Which she did now. Letting out a little chuckle, I offered her my hand, and talked with her for a while, before taking my leave of the school.

Darkness crept around me, dusk had already fallen. There was barely any light left, only rays of orange in the distance. Luckily, there was a chill summer breeze flowing, causing my skin to feel cool and good. In the background, I could hear Cicadas singing, which lent me a peaceful feeling. All in all, I was glad I decided not to take the bus. Evenings like this were rare, especially evenings when you we're by yourself, with no one else to spoil the quiet, relaxing atmosphere. I had only ran into a handful of people, walking the other direction, and saw even fewer cars on the road, leading to a sense of isolation, which wasn't a negative. Heaving up my bag and fixing my shoulder length black hair, I continued down the sidewalk, deep in thought.

Back at school, despite how briefly they talked, Ayashiro had brought up the topic of where their club was going to go for their training camp this year during summer break, which was only a few weeks away. Despite me belonging to the Literature club, I had always appreciated the former President's love of physical activity, and despite the main focus of reading books, I had kept the former President's policy of at least one session of exercise per meeting. As such, there club was much more physically active then this kind of club would usually be. Normally, it would be too late to go to someplace fancy, but the former president had already planned for our club to go to Shoushinji before she stepped down, which was an area near the eastern sea. It was planned they would stay at a small Buddhist temple. All organised by the club's advisor, Aoi Hanako, the school's newest Literature teacher. The trip was supposed to make up for last year's crummy training camp, which took place in the school's library. Many of the first years, especially Momoko, were extremely excited and I really didn't want to disappoint them. So, more likely than not, the trip was happening-

"YOU IDIOT!"

Suddenly, my peaceful walk, and contemplation was interrupted by shouting, coming from a few meters away from me. A flash of red hair greeted me, as a teenager around the age of sixteen went into my view. The sunlight hadn't completely vanished yet, so I could make out details about her body. She was tall, lean, had very long crimson hair, and had crimson eyes. She wore blue jeans, and a navy blue sweater. Her face was visibly red. She opened her mouth, and spoke in an angered tone of voice,

"Sayaka, you're so unreasonable!"

Another voice responded to that,

"Me? Unreasonable?! All you do is sit at home all day, wasting space and eating. It's always "Oh Sayaka can I copy your homework" or "Sayaka, can you do my project for me." Your always mooching off me, Kyouko." The voice was equally angry. I noticed another person; she had average height, had light blue eyes, was slim, and had deep blue short hair. The two girls were now inches apart waving their fingers at another; I started to wonder if I should intervene. Both of these girls looked familiar, I could have sworn I had seen Madoka hanging around the blue haired girl, and seen Homura with the red-headed one on a few occasions.

_It isn't my business, so I should just walk past them,_

I didn't like snooping on or interrupting people's private affairs, so I choose to ignore the pair, who didn't seem to notice me as I walked past them. Their angry shouts could be heard in the distance for a good while, before disappearing. The loud song of the Cicada could be heard once again in the background. The peaceful feeling returned to me, as I let out a breath of relief.

To some people, I seemed anti-social, which in my opinion wasn't the case. I just didn't like the fact having relationships with people tended to lead to arguments and fights, which is one of the reasons I never put any effort into having a boyfriend. Infact, I had never ever been attracted to any boys at my elementary school and my middle school. It was much simpler just having friends.

I glanced at my hand watch; it read "eight o clock."

_I really should have left school earlier, _

I had walked around an hour, so I was about half-way home. On average, I usually left school at six, and my grandfather expected me back home at eight. Today I was going to be late. I decided I might as well call him up and tell him. Taking out my cellphone from my back pocket, I dialed his number, and put it to my ear, after the usual few seconds of beeping, I could hear a gruff voice on the other side,

"Hello?"

I responded in an equally gruff voice, "Grandfather?"

"Ah it's Shouko, are you almost home?"

"No. I left school a bit late. I'll be home in an hour."

"Alright, is there anything else?"

"No."

"Then I'll see you at home. Goodbye." The phone cut off.

That's how most conversations went with my grandfather, short, and straight to the point. Both me and my grandfather hated pleasantries, and would rather have people speak bluntly. We meant nothing bad of it, it's just the way we think and how we we're. Grandmother was always the one who was good with people, and balanced out grandfather's roughness. Ever since she died, his gruffness would usually go overboard, and since she died when I was young, Grandfather had influenced my personality more than her.

Picking up the pace, I walked faster down the cement sidewalk, hoping to get home before the moon was out. For some reason, I had always had an uneasy feeling when the moon was about, shining its pale light down upon the earth. It was distance, so vast, and it always made me feel so small. But I suppose, it also gave people a peaceful feeling with its moonlight guiding you through the darkness. All in all, Shouko preferred the stars over it.

Yawning I looked towards the distance, the sunlight was all but consumed, and on the last stretch, I would have to be careful not to get lost in the darkness or trip.

* * *

Opening the front door with my set of keys, I walked into my grandfather's house. It was of medium size, and was of western design instead of being Japanese styled. Taking my shoes off, and placing them on the shoe rack beside the door, I walked down the hallway into the living room. Grandfather wasn't there. I quickly went to the kitchen, and found a plastic container filled with food on the counter along with a note, which read,

_Will be asleep by the time you get back. Make sure to heat this._

Grabbing the container, I opened it and put its contents onto a plate, before placing it into the microwave. Going to the table, I sat down on a chair, and took out my phone. The screen said I had one unread text. It was from Yasumi.

"How are U? Sorry I couldn't make it to the club meeting."

I quickly typed in response,

"I'm doing fine. Are you feeling any better than you we're this morning?" I pressed send.

Yasumi's response came quick,

"Much better , thank you Shouko-Sempai :) ."

"Take any medication?"

"No. It rarely helps anyway, so I didn't bother."

"Okay. Are you and Momoko going to sleep soon?"

Shouko waited a good few minutes before the responded,

"No. Momoko is making me watch some kind of anime. She won't tell me what it's about though."

"You have my sympathy. What's the name of it?"

"I think…_Sakura Trick?_"

"Never heard of it."

Knowing Momoko, it was most likely a Shonen, or at the least something action packed.

"Well Momoko's about to put it on. LOL, she's not letting me text anyone while we watch. Guess it's goodbye, I'll see you at school in the morning then Shouko-Sempai, night."

"Goodnight."

I put the phone down, as I took the warmed food out of the microwave. Going to a cupboard, I retrieved a pair of chopsticks for my use. Sitting back down, I put my hands together and said,

"Adakimas."

Despite there being no one else here, I still ate with respect. Taking my time, I enjoyed the meal.

Being unusually tired, I decided to go to sleep after eating dinner, as well as finish my other required chores. Upstairs I took a quick shower, after drying myself and changing into my pajama's from my School Uniform I did my homework, which wasn't too much, as I finished in a good time. It was around ten thirty by the time I had done everything I was supposed to. Getting into bed, I put the blanket over my legs, and reached for the light switch.

A sudden ring from my phone stopped my hand. Reaching for it on the nightstand beside my bed, I tapped the screen to check the text. It was from Ayashiro,

"Still up?" It said, in bold text. Quickly using my thumbs to type a message, I pressed 'send',

"Yeah."

Ayashiro's response came moments later, and it was a link. Just by reading the URL, I could tell what it most likely was. I selected the message, and pressed 'delete'.

Not responding, I ignored the girl. Soon, I received another message.

" I'm sorry...do you think I'm a horrible person :( ?"

I typed,

"Yes." Ayashiro's next text read,

"Would you forgive me if I treated you to lunch tomorrow?"

I smiled faintly,

"Maybe."

Ayashiro's responded swiftly

"Come on, I'll even splurge on desert. So pleasssssseeeee?"

"Fine, I forgive you."

"LULZ, thanks Shouko-Chan. You truly are the best of brides."

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"You're no fun. BTW, Homura-Chan's surgery went extremely well. She'll be back at school on Friday. Madoka wants to throw her a surprise welcome back party."

A feeling of relief washed over me. Homura didn't have the strongest body, and heart surgery was a complicated and risky matter. As Homura's friend, President, and Senpai, I had been worried sick for her.

"That's great news. But I don't think throwing a surprise party is the best idea."

"Why not?"

"You know as well as I do Homura doesn't parties in general."

Homura Akemi was a...very shy person. She hated crowds, disliked when attention was cast on her, and usually kept to herself and too Madoka. Usually while walking down the halls, Homura would keep her head down, and avoid eye contact with anyone she didn't know well. If someone greeted her, she would mumble a feeblish "hello", before hurrying on her way. Overall, I think having a surprise party would only cause her stress.

"It'll be good for her. She spends way too much time reading, and with her "beloved"."

"There's nothing wrong with Homura being uncomfortable with people she doesn't know."

"It'll be good for her, and it'll be fun for the rest of us."

"I suppose so, just let Madoka handle it. I don't want to imagine what kind of party your twisted mind would conjure up."

";) "

I turned the phone off after that, pressing the power button, before putting it back on the nightstand. Turning off the lights, I laid my head against the pillow and closed my eyes, soon I was sound asleep.

* * *

Nothing but Lapis Lazuli filled my vision, as I felt myself float down under the waves. I gasped for air but none would come, my body continued to go deeper into the blue water. My vision was blurred by the water, and I couldn't see cleared. I knew I was in a body of water, but I couldn't tell if it was something as small as a lake, or an ocean.

A realisation came to me. I knew where this was. This was the eastern sea. I had been here before-

_You mustn't_

A sharp pain erupted from my temple.

_You mustn't_

My vision was getting better, regardless of the pain, I could see clearly now. The water was…glistening with pale blue light. Everything was so clear now. The sea shone like a fire flies, covering my skin in glowing Lapis Lazuli colors. The source of the light was below me…something was down there. Carefully squinting my eyes I could spot something that looked vaguely similar to a…building. A gate maybe?

_Crimson_

For a brief second, I caught a glimpse of water dyed blood red, but as soon as it came, it vanished, as the bright water banished it from my vision. I grasped onto the image in my mind, and attempted to play it back in my head to no avail. Seconds later, a voice entered my ear,

"Shouko-Chan…" Someone was calling me. The voice was quiet, and subdued. It also sounded like it was echoing from somewhere.

"Shouko-Chan…" There it was again. I tried calling out to it, but my voice wouldn't heed me. My determination to respond to the voice only caused a large amount of bubbles to form around my mouth. It was of little use. I couldn't speak, as my voice drowned in the serenity of the sea.

I raised my right hand, reaching to the surface, as my body sank into the abyss of water.

"Shouko-Chan…"

* * *

_What a strange dream…_

Rays of orange sunlight entered into my eyes, as I awoke with a yawn. I seldom remembered what I dreamt about but today was different. I recalled fragments of it. I remembered...a voice calling out to me, along with...bright blue lights and...lots of water.

_It doesn't matter. It was only a dream after all…_

Being the punctual person I was, I usually woke up around the same time each day without the use of an alarm clock. People would commend me for that, but it was really just the way my mind and body worked. Nothing worthy of praise

Taking off the blanket, I got out of my bed and started to stretch, yawning even louder than before. I felt unusually tired. Rubbing my eyes, I reached for my phone to check the time.

_Five Twenty AM._

Leaving my room, I headed to the restroom, and took a quick shower. Putting the water on hot, I scratched the shampoo into my scalp, and rinsed it. Cleaning my arms and legs with body wash and a sponge, I turned the water off. Grabbing a towel, I quickly dried myself. After that, I took my blow-dryer, and dried my hair. Afterword's, I left the bathroom covered with a towel, and went back to my room. First I brushed my short black hair, before I got changed into my school uniform. Grabbing my bag, I double checked if I had all my schoolwork and books with me. Closing the door into my room, I headed downstairs to the kitchen, and fixed myself some breakfast, just some simple "Lucky Charms" cereal with milk. I ate quickly, and after finishing, cleaned up. Leaving the kitchen, I headed to the front door. Putting on my pair of sneakers, I opened the door and left my Grandfather's house. As expected, the sun had barely risen, and the area was under a blanket of weak light. Taking my first step, I headed to school,

* * *

"Osa, Osa-Sempai, good morning!" Cried out Momoko, as she waved her hand at the sight of the senior student. Letting out a sigh, I waved back. Beside her was the ever quiet bruntte Aizawa Yasumi. Having long, wavy brown hair, porclein white skin, and deep green eyes, you could say she looked like a western styled doll. Her personality matched that, being quiet, reserved, and the complete opposite of her roommate, the highly energetic Momoko, I suppose they balanced each other out. At the sight of me, she blushed a shade of red, and nodded her head,

"Osanai-Sempai."

_That's pretty formal..._

Yasumi had a habit of tensing up, and becoming stiff when I was around her. Furthermore, she would drop familiarity, and address me by my last name. Was she uncomfortable around me? Regardless, I gave them both a small smile,

"Good morning Momoko, good morning Yasumi."

I looked around my surrounds, the hallway was crowded with students either going to their lockers, or going to their home-room classes. Glancing back at the two first years, I said,

"So, are you feeling any better Yasumi ?"

She squeaked, and her eyes went wide,

" Hmmm? OH YES, better Osanai-Sempai." She said nodding her head. Looking for a way to ease her clear discomfort, I remembered she mentioned something about her and Momoko watching an anime last night.

_What was it...Sakura Trick, I think she said its name was._

Smiling I asked,

"That's good. So, how did you two enjoy that anime last night, Sakura Trick right?"

That caused Yasumi's face to become pure scarlet, along with causing her voice to crack,

"Ummmmmm...ummmmmmm...ummmmmm..."

Momoko went beside Yasumi, with a mischievous look on her face and a grim, cat-like, smile.

_Uh oh. Momoko's like this when she's up to something..._

"Say, Zawachii..."

Zawachii was the nick-name Momoko used for Yasumi. Continuing, Momoko said,

"Wouldn't you want to reenact some of those scenes with Osa here-"

She was cut off by the normally mild-mannered Yasumi screaming out "MOMO-CHAN!" Yasumi's face by now looked like a tomato, as she grabbed Momoko and hurried away, leaving confused me in the dust.

* * *

"The first use of vampires in literature is commonly believed to be Bram Stoker's _Dracula, _but in actuality, its predated by the novel _Carmilla_ by twenty-five years,written by Sheridam Le Fanu. Overall, the most well-known early known example is the novella, _The Vampryre, _written by John William Polidori in 1819." Said Aoi-Sensei. Holding a book in one hand, and the button connected to the white screen in the other, our literature teacher Aoi Hanako carried on with the lesson. Giving her my utmost attention, I wrote in my notebook.

Aoi Hanako was the newest teacher at Seijou Girl's Academy, coming to the school a year ago. She had a pair of silver spectacles on her face, and wore a suit and pair of dress pants. She was of average height, had her brown hair in a pony tail, while having spiky bangs on the front. Wearing a yellow ribbon in her hair, she had the air of a teacher, having strict posture, and the looks. She was usually serious, but had a mischievous side to her. Aoi-Sensei enjoyed frightening her students with tales of monsters and ghosts, which an unlucky class learned the hard way during Halloween last year. She was the Literature club's advisor, and she knew everything about the subject.

Continuing she said, "Both _Carmilla_ and _Dracula_ have similar themes and traits, especially with the two titular characters, Count Dracula, and Lady Carmilla. Besides both belonging to the nobility, Carmilla and Count Dracula have erotic traits about them, and are attracted too female characters. Dracula with Milla, and Carmilla with the protagonist Laura."

At Aoi-sensei's mention of the feminine name "Laura", Ayashiro, who was seated beside me, raised her hand,

"Yes, Sakurai-san?" Aoi-sense pointed her finger at her. Ayashiro spoke in her usual, subdued voice,

"Did you say Laura and Camilla? Those are female names right?"

Aoi-sensai nodded, "Yes. _Carmilla _has a good deal of lesbian undertones." The entire class broke into conversation at that. I just quietly looked at the screen, as I wrote a note down.

_It's not that big of a deal._

Aoi-sensei brought her hands up, "All right settle down class." She brought up the button she was holding, and pointed to the white screen at the front of the classroom. I glanced up,

She pressed down on the button, causing an image to appear on the screen. It was a pale looking man in an over the top red and black outfit, he had black hair, and a pair of fangs. Aoi-Sensei, pointed to his teeth.

"Vampire's are commonly depicted with having fangs. Like Dracula over here. This is because usually, depending on the folklore, vampires require blood to survive and usually use their fangs to cause bleeding in the neck area."

She pressed the button again, causing an image of a bat to appear,

"The animal they are usually connected to are bats. Most likely because some bats drink blood to survive, vampire bats. In some cases, vampires actually have the ability to transform into bats."

Moving to another image, this time of a wolf.

"Vampire's are also connected to wolves. In Bran Stoker's Dracula, the count has the ability to transform into a wolf. Which is funny, since in today's time writers are obsessed with having lycantropes, men who turn into wolves, fight vampires." At that, Aoi-Sensei's face puffed, and she had an annoyed expression. She really didn't like the modern portrayal of vampires. Pressing down on the button in her hand, she caused another image to appear, this time to a rat, which caused a lot of the girls in the room to cover their faces and let out a collective "ewwwww" or "gross".

"Yes vampire's occasionally have rat motif's. In Bran Stoker's novel, Dracula can change his shape into a rat."

* * *

The lesson went on for another hour. When the bell rang, all the girls in the class began to leave the classroom. Aoi-Sensei called out as they left,

"Remember to do questions one to twenty on page four hundred in your textbook, good day class." She went to her reclining chair behind her desk, took out a small book, and started to read. Clearing my throat, I approached her desk and said,

"Excuse me Aoi-Sensei."

"Hmmmm, oh, Osanai-San, you need something? Did you have any questions about the lesson?"

"No Sensei. I was just asking if were still on track to go to Shoushinji."

She responded, "Yes, we still are. Just have to plan the bus, and were all set. Was there anything else?"

I coughed, "Ah. Nothing else. I'll see you later than, good day Sensei."

"Good day Shouko." And with that, I bowed my head and began to leave the classroom. I was stopped by Aoi-Sensei calling out to me,

"Hold on for a moment, Shouko." I turned my head, "Yes? Is there anything you need Sensei?"

"Are you having second thoughts about going?"

I put up my hands, "It's not that. Just want to make sure everything is going smoothly. Because of ill planning last year, we had to have our training camp in the library as you know, which was a little disappointing." It was more than a little disappointing to some in our club. Shouko remembered when the former president gave the news

"Ah. Okay. Well than I'll see you later Shouko. Bye."

"Goodbye." I said, bowing my head once again. Turning around, I headed to my third period class, I still had a few more hours before school ended, so I needed to focus my attention on doing well. Still, this was the first real training camp I was going on, so I couldn't help but feel excited. Only three more weeks to summer vacation, and four more until we went to Shoushinji.

_Stay in the present Shouko..._

I shook my head Mathematics was next, so I needed to clear my head.

* * *

Glancing at my phone's screen , I checked the time,

_Four thirty_

School had ended a good thirty minutes ago and I was heading to the classroom were our club gathered. Normally, me and Ayaoishiro would be the first ones there, as we were the president and vice-president after all. However, today I had cleaning duty for Science class, which thankfully only delayed me by thirty minutes. The ones who arrived second were usually Homura and Madoka, but Homura was away and in Tokyo city, so only Madoka would be there. Next would be Yasumi, who was the club manager, along with Momoko, but today both of them were attending a concert which was at five, so they wouldn't be here. The other fifteen club members would arrive at varying times.

Going down the hallway, and spotting the doorway which lead to the classroom I went over to it and grasped the metal door knob. Turning it around, I opened the door quietly and entered. Rays of sunlight assaulted my vision as I stepped inside, coming from the large open windows.

The classroom was relatively large, filled with an abundance of wooden desks, and was outfitted with a chalk board. Scanning the room, I counted only one other person besides me, a short pink haired girl. She was presumably deep into the book she was reading, and didn't notice me come in. It was Madoka.

_Strange Ayashiro is usually here, she must have had something to do._

Creeping up behind her, I blankly said,

"What are you reading?"

Surprised she let out a shout, turning around, blushing, and putting the book she was reading behind herself so I couldn't see it, she said in her normal tone of voice

"Osa-Sempai, I...didn't see you come in ."

"Thought I would surprise you." I replied, curtly. Moving my head slightly to the right, I attempted to catch a glimspe of the book she had hidden from my view. In response she adjusted her body to keep the book hidden.

"Since no one was here, I assumed you or Ayaoshiro-Sempai cancelled today's meeting. So...I decided to catch up on some reading."

"Ah. What are you reading exactly?"

She didn't say anything, as she bowed her head in shame, holding out the hard cover book. Looking at the title, I suddenly felt very embarrassed, which was incredibly childish considering the topic,

"Living in a lesbian relationship." I read out loud, which caused madoka's face to become full scarlet.

She blubbered out, "I'm only reading it because the topic interested me. Don't get any wrong impressions Osa." Madoka started to flail her arms about. I just calmly said,

"Listen, Madoka. Its all right, just take a few deep breaths and calm down."

Pulling out a chair, I sat down on it, and put a hand to her shoulders. Following my advice, she let out three giant mouthful of air, and began to wind down. Taking my hand off her shoulder I said,

"Now , Madoka. I am not only your Sempai, and president of the club you belong too, I'm also your friend. And as you friend, you can tell me anything."

I gave her the warmest smile I could muster, which must have looked really akward. Either no one was saying anything, or I was the only one to notice, Madoka wasn't acting how she normally would as of late. She was more withdrawn, and on some occasions, sad. Of course, this was only when Homura wasn't present, and when she was, Madoka shone up like a fire cracker. Despite my early assesment of not trusting rumours, I had started to wonder if this really was a "simple rumor".

Shying away, Madoka feeblishly asked,

"Do you...promise not to tell anyone?"

"I swear." I promised her.

Being hesitant, she waited ten seconds, before finally saying, "I'm... dating...another girl..."

"I see. It's Homura isn't it?"

"Yeah."

While I was the last person to ask for relationship advice, Madoka trusted me enough to tell me her secret, which was reason enough for me to listen. I asked, in a stern, yet kind tone,

"How serious are the two of you? Its quite common for two girls, especially, at an all-girls school to have a relationship that seems intimate enough to make it look like their in a romantic relationship, while they actually aren't."

"We've kissed rather passionately twice now, and I've given her lesser pecks to the lips and cheeks countless times ."

"Okay. So serious?"

"Very." She simply said.

Nodding, I continued, "What seems to be the problem then?"

Tugging at her red ribbons, Madoka looked away, "Me and Homura had a disagreement, right before she left foe Tokyo City. She wants to keep the extent of our relationship secret. I...want to tell my parents." Pausing for a second, she took a deep breath, and continued, "I tell my mom everything...so me deceiving her like this is really saddening me. As my parent she has the right to know I'm a ...lesbian."

"What is Homura's exact problem with people knowing?"

"She says are parents will get angry, and that people won't want to be around us anymore.

_Well, my view on Homura and Madoka hadn't changed in the slightest, and whilst it would most likely be a problem at a co-ed school, Seijou was a completely different story. As an all-girls school, lesbian relationships were treated much more casually, and not frowned upon, at least by the majority of the school. Honestly, Homura was being a little over-cautious._

Clearing my throat, I said,

"I don't think you two have anything to worry about. I doubt anyone at this school would give you any trouble. And if they did, me and Ayashito wouldn't stand for it."

"Really?" Her eyes went wide, and she smiled.

"Yeah. And your mother seems like an understanding person, so just explain that to Homura. I'm sure she'll see your side. You don't have to hide the person you love Madoka."

"I'll talk to Homura about it, we've used skype as of late. " Madoka bowed her head in gratitude and smiled "Thank you for listening to me Osa."

Returning the smile, I patted her on the head. "It was no problem, you can come to me anytime if you need someone to chat with."

* * *

When I got home, I decided to go on my computer for a little. Typing a message, I clicked "send" with my mouse. In clear blue the screen read Facebook". I initially hated the site, and was forced to get an account by Ayaoishiro, admittedly, I seldom used it. But it did have its pros.

Suddenly, the top corner of my screen flashed red, I had a message. Clicking on the strange circular icon, the message popped up. It was from Ayaishiro.

"Check Madoka's account."

Going to my friends list, I selected Madoka Kanama. Clicking on the tab "status", I entered into the page. Using my eyes to scan the text, a smile appeared on my lips, as I read out loud,

"Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi Status: Dating."

Reading some of the comments, I chuckled,

"From Junko Kaname: OMG my little girl is growing up. Have fun you two and congratz ;)"


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: Legends, The Sea, and Busses**_

_OOC: Real sorry it took this long. Been really busy with school._

_A long time ago…_

_Over two thousands years ago an island on the southern peninsula, Onigashmia, was captured by a group of Oni. Oh, it wasn't a big island, however, it was a gift from the gods, we couldn't just hand it over to foreign Oni. To re-conquer the island, the Shogun immediately formed a group of soldiers and crossed the rough waves to Onigashmia. However, the opponent was an Oni. It was strong and used sorcery._

_As the Oni lord conjured his dark spells, an unearthly aura rose among black clouds. Strong rains and winds turned the sea stormy. The difficult tides bore into the ships bottoms and the sea became very difficult to travel across. To make matters worse, there was an explosive storm, like a colossal giant from Norse mythology, the Shogun couldn't lay a finger on it._

_Whether it was a curse, or another one of the Oni's spells, a plague appeared and spread across the land. With plague, came famine, earthquakes, typhoons, and droughts. The situation had almost detorited to the point that the Shogun considered surrender. After ending for two years, things finally changed for the best. The population had been reduced to one half, when the king of time told the princess of Japans a revelation from Ryuujin-Sama, the Dragon God. If the princess followed those words, the Dragon god would cure the pestilence. However, the problem persisted._

_The island was still occupied by Oni, and because of the summoned storm, no one could cross to the island. The princess continued praying diligently day and night. A white cat with red eyes, was said to be her only companion during her vigil,_

_"Please, Dragon god. Cure this disease and stop the storm." She pleaded_

_The princess prayed for three years to the god that lights the sea and he finally answered._

_The sea turned bright Lapis Lazuli, the Youki, water imps, disappeared into the ocean. The water became calm once again. The ships could now cross. This time they would reclaim Onigashima. The Yashi-Gari, and Samurai warriors got excited and gathered their ships, but…_

_The princess had used her last drop of life…her glossy black hair turned pure white and she died, screaming. According to some variants of the legend, her soul colored Lapis Lazuli seeped out of her body, and formed into a black gem. Afterwards, her brother, the Shogun's son, took the gem into his possessions._

_Her death roused her brother. He was appointed leader by his father, the Shogun. He used the ships as a decoy, and with a retuine of three people, he snuck over to the island. Once a year, at a certain place and time, a secret path to the island appear, that way, the group could sneak over, but after that, a ferocious battle broke out. Leaving the lesser Oni to his comrades, he headed to the oni lord, and drew his bow. To counter the prince, the Oni gathered massive rocks, and began to throw them, raining rocks down. Would the prince run out of arrows? Or would the Oni run out of rocks to throw? After five minutes, the Prince changed his strategy. Firing to arrow at once, the prince struck the Oni-king's eye._

_"How dare you?!"The oni lord screamed. Holding his crushed right eye, his face seething with rage, he started to cast a spell,_

_The drops of his blood turned to black Miasma. The rising Youki blocked the light coming from the sea, and enveloped the Oni-lord._

_With rumbling in the ground, the Miasma grew, expanded, and became thicker. The clear wind blew and..._

_An ox, blacker than the void appeared. It was the size of a small hill, with the ferocity of a tiger. Yellow eyes, glowing, it flung sharpened horns and kicked at the ground._

_A normal soldier would have given up without a fight. However, the prince was a mighty warrior, and knew endless courage_

_The target, not moving, was struck by many arrows, but never got injured, and the quiver soon emptied. This was no ordinary Oni. Like gods of an ancient lineage, its blood was special, and was a demon god. Then of course, weapons made by humans would do no harm, but against a divine sword, the oni should fall._

_The shogun faced the ox-shaped oni and threw away his bow. In its place shone …_

_"In the name of the Blue Palace, Dragon god, Ocean's king, lend your power! Cleave this Oni's head" he shouted, bringing up a massive sword, that shone Lapis Lazuli,_

_The rush of a sword, the wind cleaved, an impact. An ox's head tumbled to the ground in a spray of black blood._

_And so, the oni who lost their king fled like little spiders on the wind. The oppressed people of the island gave their allegiance to the shogun…_

* * *

"And so, Onigashima was reclaimed, and all ended on a happy note…"

Aoi-Sensei finished her tale. Yawning, I sighed in disappointment. I will admit I was wrapped up in the story at the start and middle, but in the end, it had a cliché ending like a fairy tale.

Glancing up at Aoi-Sensei , I let out a disapproving puff. She was wearing simple white sweats, along with a pair of track pants. She looked like a PI teacher, instead of the advisor to the Literature club. Her brown hair was very messy, and her glasses were crooked on her face. Her arms were crossed, and she wore a serious expression, which soon faded, replaced by a warm smile.

So it was just a story after all...

After the applause died down from the other students, I slight sound reached my ear, calming vibrations, the source was the bus's engine hitting rough patches on the road. The bus itself was the shame shape as a train, but it sounded more natural than going over gaps in a rail. Well, as natural as a machine could be. We were originally on a train in the afternoon, but we had since transferred to a bus, which we've traveled on for a good while now.

"And that students is the Oni legend of Unasaka."

The story teller gave a bow.

Though not a charter bus, it would not be strange to have a tour guide but…Sensei holding a mike in one hand and wearing sweats didn't look like one,

"Yes! Yes! Aoi-Sensei!"

An excited voice could be heard from behind me. Responding, Aoi-Sensei said,

"Yes, what is it?"

Aoi-Sensei no doubt rivalled a real bus guide in terms of storytelling. An expert in classics, she also knew many Fairy Tales, both Eastern and Western. Anyway,

When both teacher and students were on a bus, it usually signaled that an event was happening. And since it was summer vacation, you could infer that event was a training camp. The same excited voice from before spoke up,

"Unaska… who would have guessed where we're having training has such a legend?!"

Heading south, today we started training camp. Well…I use the word loosely since that training was reading piles of old books and some physical activity mixed in.

Again, that excited, loud, and annoying voice, entered my ears,

"Maybe we're going to learn the ultimate Oni extermination skills from a mysterious old man?!"

"Who knows?" Aoi Sensei teased.

"Awww what kind of answer is that, I can't stand this situation Sensei!" The voice practically shouted, annoying me greatly. It belonged to the highly energetic first year, Momoko Akita. Who was flailing her brown pig tails around, as she poked her head behind me. Before I could tell her to politely shut up, a kind, and quiet voice addressed Momoko from across me.

"Shhhh please keep your voice down, Momoko-Chan . Homura-Chan's trying to sleep."

Madoka Kanama, said, gently brushing the hair of the girl who was sleeping on her shoulder. Lighting patting the sleeping Homura Akemi on the head, Madoka gave Momoko an apologetic look. The first year had her pink hair done in ribbons, while Homura had her black hair done in braids. The glasses she usually wore were safely tucked in her shirt's pocket.

Momoko nodded her head eagerly, obviously not wanting to disturb the constantly ill girl. Homura had just recently had a heart surgery, and had been hit the hardest from the constant traveling, and had fallen asleep a good four hours ago. Becoming quieter, but not losing her energy, she questioned me,

"What do you think Osa-Senpai?"

I responded in a deadpan tone, "Yes Momoko, an old man is going to teach us an ancient secret sword technique…"

Momoko poked the girl sitting beside her,

"See Zawachii? Osa believes me!" A quiet and caring voice answered her,

"Momo-Chan, don't bother Shouko-Sempai." I turned my head to face Yasumi. Her brown eyes were downcast, and her skin looked paler then usual. I asked, with concern in my voice,

"Yasumi, are you all right?"

"I'm…fine Shouko." I could tell by her voice, as well as her paler than normal completion she was lying. Sighing, I let the issue slide. Like Homura, Yasumi wasn't the healthiest of people. I worried about the both of them constantly, I was their upper classmate after all. It was my duty, as their sempai, and their friend.

"Mmmhhh...yes..."

Speaking of friends, I snorted, and turned to face my best friend, Ayoishiro. She was sleeping on my shoulder and drooling. Smiling blissfully, she said,

"Not there... lick there Shouko..."

I slammed my elbow into her rib, which caused her to open her eyes, and hug me tightly,

"Oh Osa...I was just dreaming about you..." She said, winking at me. Punching her lightly on the arm, I said strictly,

"Keep me out of your perverted fantasies "Hime-San". Or i'll throw you into the sea."

Glancing outside of the window, I could see that the sun was starting to go down, with its bright rays of light turning an orangish color. Beside the road which our bus drove over, was the Southern Sea, which shone brightly under the light. When the former president told me that the training camp would take place beside the eastern sea, I was indifferent. Our school was by a lake, so I saw a large body of water every day, nothing to be excited about. But for some reason when I told the other club members, everyone became even more ecstatic about the training camp.

When I was a little girl, Grandmother would take my on all kinds of trips. She always loved traveling, occasionally , Natsu-nee, my older cousin would come along with us. , Natsu-nee was the one who kindled my interest in Kendo. Her skill in the sport was unmatched; she even made it to the nationals. They nicknamed her The Rook, for her inconveniently and deceptive swordsmanship.

Perhaps the reason going to the sea didn't really excite me was because I had already been there before when I was younger? Most of my memories of that time were blank, and I didn't really remember any specifics of were we went on are excursions, so it was a possibility.

My grandmother she...liked seeing unfamiliar things...

Like how you'll grow tall if your raised in a place with a high ceiling...

If the items in the world become larger, people grow large,

And in the summer of my third year of high school,

I went on a journey

Though it was summer camp, it was still a journey,

Riding by train than by bus,

We went towards the southern sea...

_**Aoishiro Opening **_(Watch)

watch?v=-w_tQwsDxck


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter** **2: Mountains, Temples, Poetry **_

"That was a long ride…" I said, stretching my back, and glancing at my phone's screen to check the time,

"Though we weren't sitting in seiza, it was still tough..." Mumbled Ayashiro, as she quickly got off our chair, quickly trailing behind me, while carrying her luggage in her right hand.

"Well, be grateful since the driver had it worse."

We had arrived at our destination close to sunset. The door to our bus opened with a noise different from other automobiles. Watching were I stepped, me and the rest of the students walked down the steps of the old-fashioned bus. The cool air from the busses air conditioner mixed with the humidity from outside, which caused me to feel…kinda strange.

Suddenly someone pushed through the group, shouting,

"Look! I'm number one!" Momoko smiled devilishly, as she got to the front of the group. Becoming annoyed, I yelled out,

"Hey Momoko! Be careful!"

Calling from behind, I heard Yasumi's voice, "Momo-Chan, your bag!"

Back in the bus, I heard Aoi-Sensei chuckle, "Everyone, make sure that you don't forget anything." Behind me, I could Madoka's soft voice,

"Driver-San. Thank you for your hard work."

Glancing at the scenery, I let out a large breath of air. Though we were still in Japan, the southern atmosphere and environment felt different. In the past, the strait marked the boundary between another country. My entire body felt warm, the air in front of me wavered. Hot air-filled my chest, what a heavy felling. The air density must not be the same. The salty smell of the waves was different from what I was normally accustomed to. Every breath I took felt as though it pressured my lungs. In truth, it was a little hard to breath.

As I let out a sigh, Yasumi, who had taken place beside me, also sighed and our eyes met. However...

"We've arrived! It' so hot! The summer sea!"

A wild cry reached us. Both me and Yasumi gave a pained smile,

"Momo-Chan sure is Genki." Said Yasumi, giving a dry laugh, I responded with,

"You could say that."

Perhaps I had gotten used to the air. I smiled again, and the pressure on my chest went away. Looking around, I glance in every direction,

Between the pale beech, and the sound of waves on my left, the vast ocean spread out. A few kilometers ahead was an island, past that, the vastness of the sea. Compared to the sky above land, the beaches "sky" looked wider. The setting sun was reflected on the water's surface, glittering among the waves. Oddly, the reflected light didn't light the island's shadow. It was a pity that it remained dark.

Depending on the person, the shadow-like black ink painting would be interesting, but as a person with no artistic taste, a colorful was more to my liking.

Yasumi might have felt the same as me, since she had been silent until now, letting out a long sigh

_Was she that disappointed? Well, not my place to judge, everyone had different tastes. Besides, mixing red and black didn't give that much of a good impression. _

Also standing out was…

"I see. So that's Onigashima." Said Momoko, surprisingly subdued and calm. We had just learned of another name for the island.

_An island so close to the mainland, being occupied, and subject to constant attack would've added a lot of stress. With that situation, it's no wonder there's another name for the island. Nonetheless…_

"Yo!" She rose above the breakwaters. With a hand to block the sun's ray of lights, Momoko jumped. The sounds of footsteps, then a voice,

"It's to be expected, but it looks just like a normal island."

I responded to her in a dry voice,

"It seems that way." Looking around, she checked just to make sure.

"Like I said on the bus, if it weren't, it'd be a big tourist attraction." On the bus, we had a long chat about the possibility of their being a powerful sword technique on the island. I argued that, if that was the case, why weren't the people advertising it to attract visitors to the main land?

"I see." Momoko said, sounding almost disappointed. She scanned the area one last time, "There's no big billboards, souvenirs, food stands, yah?"

"Now…"

Back on topic. I stretched my stiff body. "Why don't we head over to the inn since there's nothing here?"

Madoka, who was beside Homura, and carrying both of their luggage, said, "It's true. We are a little over our schedule as it is." Checking the time on her cell, Madoka looked a bit worried,

"We notified them before earlier today, but should we do so again?" She continued "We've been traveling half a day so there's bound to be some calculation errors…"

The reservation ticket had only the vague reservation time 'About' written on it, Madoka turned to Aoi-Sensei and asked,

"Sensei, what should we do?"

Casual as ever, Aoi-Sensei brightly smiled,

"It's fine. Don't worry about the minor details." Momoko quickly added, "I saw on TV that people in the south don't keep track of time too closely.

Apparently people from Okinawa were known to be up to 1 to 2 hours late for appointments. The certain show was pointing out an extreme case though.

Aoi-Sensei wiped the sweat off her brow and fanned her shirt to let wind in. "It's fine if we rest a bit but if we're going to relax, we might as well drop off our luggage, and change into comfortable clothes" Sensei smiled. I said stoicly,

"No. Sesnei's already comfortable enough."

If she got any more comfortable, it'll be a problem considering what she was wearing. Ayashiro stretched out, and said,

"I agree with Aoi-Sensei's idea though." Aoi-Sensei cheerfully responded,

"Then, we just have to work a little until we can rest."

Everyone in the class yelled at the same time, "Okay!"…

* * *

Is what we said…but we would need a bit more effort .

The sun traveled northeast from the southwest sea and shone along a road next to a mountain filled with lush vegetation. The round mountain wasn't that big, but it was definitely a mountain with its up and down sides. To get to the troublesome inn we had to climb the small mountain.

"Ah these are the stairs" Said Madoka quietly. Stone steps entangled with overgrown plants filled the class's vision. The steps looked like they were made from ancient materials and went diagonally up the mountain.

Glancing up, I looked at the steps we needed to climb, Momoko, spoke in awe at the sight,

"Wah, they're long…"

She had the right idea for once.

I had to look up to see the end of the stairs, I bent back slightly to look ahead. Just going up and down would be good exercise. At the end of the stairs was an old gate. Though far away, I could tell it was grand, not suitable for a home though. Plaster walls surrounded the site which had roofed tiles.

"And it's rundown…" Momoko said, with less enthusiasm then before…

That was true.

The wind and rain that assailed the place had faded the colors and bits of paint and bits of plaster had fallen off . Some of the gutters of the stone steps needed cleaning too. Homura, who was behind Madoka, blushing slightly, said in her usual quiet voice,

"..You could say it has a certain elegance."

I turned around to face her,

"You could just be honest…"

"Then I agree with Momo-Chan." She said quickly,

"In other words, it's rundown." Homura hid her head, burying it on Madoka's shoulder, who was just smiling and petting her head,

"Ummmmm...I guess it is. "

With a troubled look, she lowered her head even further, she said,

"It's alright if the gates like that. Though I wonder if the insides okay..."

"Ok?" I asked, curious to what she meant by that.

"It'll be troublesome if it leaks when it rains…" She said, tugging at her tie. Momoko suddenly emrged behind her and said, in an outdoor voice,

"Homura-Chan is to naïve! You underestimate the effects of nature on country homes."

"Eh?" Homura said, turning around surprised,

"Holes in the doors, moldy futons, spider webs everywhere. Step on the floor, you'll sink through and at night, rats hold parties…argh! It's so scary! Just thinking about it is scary!?"

Homura became terrified, as she hid behind Madoka, and yelled "Eh?! Shouko…"

Rather deadpanly, I said, "Even if you ask me, I wouldn't know-" Madoka gave me a sharp and angry look, causing me to quickly add, "I don't think it's as bad as Momoko says…" Changing the topic, I asked Sensei,

"Sensei, what's the area like?"

"I think it'll be okay. It might be dilapidated but Suzuki lives here." The name of are host, a Buddhist monk,

"Suzuki Yuukai-San…was it?"

She laughed,

"Yes. He's a friend of my father. When I asked about the camp, he replied quickly saying we could."

His name could be read 'Taskuki" (Meaning "to help") It was quite fitting. Though it sounded weird, like it wasn't his real name and he made it from his favorite motto.

Well, though my grandmother's name was written as 'Akiyoshi' it was pronounced as 'Shuuhou' giving her name a classical Chinese feel, which was weird as well.

Suddenly Momoko's face filled my vision, as she said,

"The monk's quick reply might because he was thinking 'Kukuku, cute girls from the city are coming!'."

Homura, who was still behind Madoka, quietly said, "As a monk I don't he'd say that…"

Aoi-Sensei adopted a worried expression. Momoko, catching on, called out,

"Uwah?! What's with that silence?" Aoi-Sensei spoke rather calmly,

"Eh? Suzuki-San is a very good person, though, he might have some problems as a monk…" She whispered to me, "He drinks too much Alcohol."

The monk lived here, which didn't look like it was an inn.

Yes. Our training camp was at a temple.

Looking at the temple a second time…

It did have an appropriate bearing for an ancient temple and a mysterious effect on the heart.

_Matter is void everything is constantly changing. The world shifts-no…_

There was a more famous and fitting phrase for this.

Ah that was it. I recited out loud,

"The sound of the bell at Jetavana Monaster-"

Out of nowhere, a voice finished my sentence

"…Echoes the impermanence of all things." The voice that carried on my mutterings echoed at the temples gate,

As if it that phrase was a spell, the metal bell rung in the distance. The voice continued,

"The color of the Sal Flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline."

The unknown voice recited at the same time as the bell rining to leave an impression on the assembled students. I turned around to see the owner of the voice.

The mountain was facing the calm sea we saw earlier. The setting sun was sunk halfway into the ocean, coloring it crimson. The sky was getting darker, but at the height we were at, I had to squirt my eyes against the light.

"A haughty person also fades like a midsummer nights. The mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind."


End file.
